Voting along party lines and following nearly 24 hours of continuous debate, the Wisconsin Assembly on Friday approved anti-worker legislation that bans labor contracts requiring workers to pay union fees.
Republican Gov. Scott Walker, a presumptive 2016 presidential candidate whose assault on organized labor is ongoing, said he “looks forward” to signing the bill on Monday.
As Common Dreams previously reported, Wisconsin Republicans called a surprise “extraordinary session” in late-February in order to fast-track the so-called “right-to-work” bill. The Center for Media and Democracy, a Madison-based watchdog organization, has revealed that the proposal was taken verbatim from model legislation crafted by the right-wing, corporate-funded American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).
Outcry from those who opposed the measure—saying it would depress wages, weaken unions, and pit workers against bosses—came immediately on Friday.
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